Fastener for clothes-lines



(No Model.)

I W LBUGKERT PASTENER FOB CLOTHES LINES.

No. 476,471. Patented June '7, 1892.

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\VILLIAM LEUCKERT, OF BROOKLYN, NEXV YORK.

FASTENER FOR CLOTHES-LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,471, dated June 7, 1892.

Application filed November 16, 1891. Serial No. 412,030. (No model.)

To all whom it ntcty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEUCKERT, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Clothes -Lines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved fastener for clothes-lines, by which the tightening or slackening of the clothes-lines which are stretched over pulleys and used for hanging up clothes from the windows of buildings can be readily accomplished in an easy manner.

The invention consists of a clothes-line fastener formed of two lever-arms that are provided near their middle portions with inwardlybent lugs and pivot -pins passing through said logs, the upper portions of said arms being outwardly bulged and the lower portions made to converge toward each other. The upper end of one of the lever-arms is provided with an eye an d with a hook applied to said eye, to which book one end of the clothes-line is attached. The upper end of the other lever-arm is provided with aslot for the passage of the other opposite end of the clothes-line, while the lower end of one of the lever-arms is provided with guard-pieces having inwardly-bent ends that act as stops for the lower end of the other lever-arm, so as to prevent the escape of the clothes-line from the lower ends of the lever-arms.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a clothes-line with my improved fastener, the clothes-line being shown in stretched position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fasten er, showing it in position for slackening the clothes-line. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved clothes-line fastener, it being drawn on a larger scale; and Figs. at and 5 are horizontal sections, respectively, on line 4 4 and 5 5, Fig. 3, showing the pivot connection of the lever-arms of the fastener and the guard devices at the lower end of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a clothes-line of that class which is passed over pulleys a a, that are suspended from two fixed points of support, one being the window frame or sill and the other a pole or other support. The clothes-line A is connected at the ends by a fastener B, which is formed of two leverarms Z) b, that are preferably made of cast metal and provided at or near their middle portions with inwardly-projecting lugs (Z cl, which are connected by pivots e e, which act as fulcra for the arms and permit the ready swinging of the same on the pivots. The upper portions of the lever-arms Z) I) are made bulging, the upper end of the lever-arm b being provided with an outwardly-bent eye f, to which the eyef of a hook F is applied.

To the hook F is attached one end of the clothes line, the other end being passed through a slot g at the upper end of the leverarm I), said slot having rounded-off edges, so as to prevent the chafing of the line. The end of the clothes-line is then passed in downward direction between the upper bulging portions of the fastener B, between the inwardly-bent lugs (Z cl, and between the lower converging portions of the arms Z) Z), as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The lower end of the lever-arm b is provided with guard-pieces h h, which extend sidewise of the lower end of the lever-arm b, as shown in Fig. 4. The ends of the guardpieces h are bent inwardly, so as to form stops it, so that when the fastener releases the end of the clothes-line the same can pass readily between the lower converging portions of the lever-arms, which, however, are prevented from separating to such an extent as to permit the escape of the line in lateral direction below the pivot e and the wedging in of the line between the upper ends of the arms.

hen the fastener B is in position for use. it is suspended in vertical position from the clothes-line, as shown in Fig. 1. On hanging up the clothes on the line and moving the same forward, the weight of the clothes exerts a strain on the line, so that the arms of the fastener are pulled in opposite directions, whereby a clamping action is exerted by the lower converging ends of the fastener on the end of the line, so that the same is firmly held in position. The greater the weight of the clothes on the line the greater the clamping action of the lever-arms of the fastener on that end of the line between the lower ends of the same. \Vhen the clothes are dried, they are removed from the line in the usual wellby straining.

known manner by moving the line toward the pulley at the window-frame. After all the clothes are removed it is desirable to slacken the line, so that the same will not be strained by exposure to rain or moisture, which is accomplished by taking hold of the upper bulging ends of the lever-arms by the hand and pressing them toward each other, whereby the lower ends of the lever-arms are moved away from each other and release the loose end of the line and permit it to pass readily through the eye g at the upper end of the arm I) sufficiently to slacken the line and prevent injury Then it is desired to tighten the line for hanging up the clothes, the loose end of the line is taken hold of below the fastener and pulled through the same until the line is sutficiently taut for the purpose. The fastener is then dropped and the weight of the line exerts an instant clamping action on the fastener, so that the same holds the line firmly in position. The line can also be slackened by moving the entire fastener into an approximately horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position the loose end of the line is also released, and thereby the line slackened.

The clothes-line fastener is made of cast metal, the inwardly-bent lugs d d and guardpieces h h at the lower ends being made integral with the arms I) Z). The fastener is preferably galvanized, so as to resist atmospheric influences.

The advantage of my improved fastener over the clothes-line fasteners heretofore in use consists in the arrangement of the stops on the guard device at the lower end of the lever-arm b, as by this arrangement the lower ends of the fastener are only opened sufliciently to permit the easy sliding of the line, but not opened sufficiently to prevent the escape of the line in a lateral direction below the pivot of the lever-arms and the wedging in of the same between the upper portions of the lever-arms b 1).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A clothes-line fastener composed of two fulcrumed lever-arms provided with bulging upper portions and converging lower portions, one end of the clothes-line being attached to the upper end of one lever-arm, while the upper end of the other arm is provided with an opening for the passage of the loose end of the clothes-line, the lower end of one leverarrn being provided with guard-pieces having inwardly-bent ends that act as stops for the lower end of the other lever-arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presv ence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LEUCKERT. Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, CHARLES SCHROEDER. 

